Friday, September 16, 2005

On August 9, 2005"The Kansas Board of Education voted 6-4 to include greater criticism of evolution in its school science standards, but it decided to send the standards to an outside academic for review before taking a final vote. The Kansas school system was ridiculed around the country in 1999 when the board deleted most references to evolution. The system later reversed course, but the language favored by the board Tuesday comes from advocates of intelligent design or creationism."Intelligent Design (ID) proponents assert that an unidentified supernatural being created the universe and that ID should be offered in public schools as an alternative to theories of evolution. Scientists, academics, teachers and other sane people were outraged, and said that such pseudoscience does not belong in our classrooms. ID supporters were outraged by the outrage, setting the stage for a Scopes Monkey Trial Part Dieux.A concerned citizen, one Bobby Henderson, heard about this and was disappointed to learn that only one theory of ID was being discussed. So he wrote to the Kansas Board of Education and told of his vision, in an attempt to persuade them to consider what he believes is the supernatural creator of the universe:The Flying Spaghetti Monster. Behold Bobby's Holy vision in all His noodly glory!Read his entire letter to the Kansas Board of Education here, and if you are not touched by his eloquence and persuaded by his sound reaoning of Flying Spaghetti Monsterism (FSM), then you sir, are truly a soulless beast who shall be condemned to the hell of your own making. **insert sound of the Flying Spaghetti Monster smiting you here**

Here is an excerpt from Bobby's open letter to the KS Bd of Ed.:

I am writing you with much concern after having read of your hearing to decide whether the alternative theory of Intelligent Design should be taught along with the theory of Evolution. I think we can all agree that it is important for students to hear multiple viewpoints so they can choose for themselves the theory that makes the most sense to them. I am concerned, however, that students will only hear one theory of Intelligent Design.Let us remember that there are multiple theories of Intelligent Design. I and many others around the world are of the strong belief that the universe was created by a Flying Spaghetti Monster. It was He who created all that we see and all that we feel. We feel strongly that the overwhelming scientific evidence pointing towards evolutionary processes is nothing but a coincidence, put in place by Him...In conclusion, thank you for taking the time to hear our views and beliefs. I hope I was able to convey the importance of teaching this theory to your students. We will of course be able to train the teachers in this alternate theory. I am eagerly awaiting your response, and hope dearly that no legal action will need to be taken. I think we can all look forward to the time when these three theories are given equal time in our science classrooms across the country, and eventually the world; One third time for Intelligent Design, one third time for Flying Spaghetti Monsterism, and one third time for logical conjecture based on overwhelming observable evidence.

Read some responses he received from the Kansas Board of Ed.Here are some interesting emails he has recieved.And the FAQ.

Thursday, September 15, 2005

This is real. I am not making this up. During the UN Security Council meeting yesterday (09/14/05) President Bush, in a hand-written note passed to SecState Condi Rice wrote, "I think I may need a bathroom break? Is this possible." Here is a photo. Here is a close-up. Okay, so he's not the smartest guy in the room wherever he goes. He still has not grasped the concept of punctuation, let alone issues of international diplomacy. We knew that already. But was he serious, or just trying to be cute? I heard he and Condi were playing hangman, too. Here is a peek at the puzzle that stumped the President:

Monday, September 12, 2005

via Raw Story, FEMA Chief Resigns Post--- Coming soon: Dubya to award "Brownie" the Presidential Medal of Freedom for "doing a heck of a job." You may laugh at the absurdity of that last bit, but hey, Tenet and Bremer each got one.

I'm not holding my breath waiting for Bush's "my bad" on his handling (or lack thereof) of Katrina aftermath, either. Bush promises to lead an investigation regarding "what went right, what went wrong." WTF? He's going to lead an investigatoin of himself? That should be enlightening. In case you couldn't tell, i was being sarcastic. Meanwhile, the Bubble Boy continues to be babied by his handlers who say, "Now is not the time to play the blame game."To quote Jon Stewart: "Those who don't want to play the blame game are to blame."